ORLANDO, Fla. — Tiger Woods has announced his return to golf, revealing that his comeback will begin at next month's Masters at Augusta National Golf Club.
"The Masters is where I won my first major, and I view this tournament with great respect. After a long and necessary time away from the game, I feel like I'm ready to start my season at Augusta," Woods said Tuesday in a statement on his official Web site.
"The major championships have always been a special focus in my career and, as a professional, I think Augusta is where I need to be, even though it's been awhile since I last played," he added.
Woods, 34, has not played since he won the Australian Masters in Melbourne in mid-November. His career nosedived soon thereafter when he crashed his SUV outside his Florida home on Nov. 27. The accident came shortly after the National Enquirer published a story alleging that he was having an affair with Rachel Uchitel, a New York nightclub manager. After the first affair allegation, more than a dozen women stepped forward claiming to have engaged in sexual trysts with Woods, including former VH1 Tool Academy contestant Jaimee Grubbs and porn star Holly Sampson.
A few weeks after the scandal broke, Woods admitted to cheating on his wife, Elin Nordegren, while also announcing plans to put his golf career on an "indefinite" hold in order to focus on his family.
The PGA star, who reportedly underwent sex addiction treatment at a Mississippi clinic, made his first public comments last month when he apologized for his "irresponsible and selfish behavior."
"I have undergone almost two months of inpatient therapy, and I am continuing my treatment," Woods said Tuesday. "Although I'm returning to competition, I still have a lot of work to do in my personal life."
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